Tag Archives: Anime

Of all the ideas percolating in last month’s Alternate Rules for Genesys Mecha think-tank the one with the most concrete ideas had to be transforming mecha. Giant robots that can take different forms of giant robot have been around in the genre basically since the beginning, whether singular machines or combining ones (I’m staying away from the latter for now). The free space in transforming mecha bingo would have to be one that turns into a jet-like form, and that’s where I started, but I also managed to come up with an extra pair of machines with specialized roles. So, let’s roll out some new technology and see what kind of Transforming Mecha will be joining the Genesys Mecha battlefield!

Mecha that follow the movements of their pilot’s limbs. Carrying gear and weapons into battle instead of bolting it on. Putting your machine together piece by piece instead of wholesale. Believing in the you that believes in yourself and throwing galaxy shurikens instead of firing bullets. Stomping from one hex to the next. Engaging the transformation mechanism. Genesys Mecha has tested its prototype, its advanced models, and its experimental machines. We’ve mustered the pilots, and seen the kind of damage that mecha can inflict on one another. We’ve launched the ships and support craft that will carry our squads into battle. Now it’s time to revisit the drawing board, tweak a few things, and think of some new ideas with Genesys Mecha: Alternate Rules!

Sensor technicians call out an incoming squadron of CHM-01S Space Ogos. The Captain orders all mecha to launch, all bulkheads sealed, and the cannons to begin firing. Vibrations can be felt through the deck as the first CHM-02 Dacar is hurled out into the void, and energy fire from the cruiser’s cannons begins to sear its way downrange as the distant thruster flares of the Ogos start to swirl into an attack pattern. In this month’s System Hack for Genesys Mecha, we aren’t adding any more giant robots. Instead, we’re taking a look at the vehicles that will carry them into battle!

As the original models start to show their age and make way for newer models, the mecha arms race continues. Whether they’re looking for an edge or racing to break the status quo, sooner or later mecha designers find themselves tapping into new technology, experimental weapons, and unique equipment. They’ll need above-average pilots to master them, but soon enough the Super Prototypes will arise to conquer the battlefield. We’re going to need some sharp test pilots for this Genesys Mecha System Hack!

The pilots of Genesys Mecha clash against one another on the battlefield. An Ogo Rifleman sends fire tearing up into the sky as a Capax soars above it, launching missiles that slam into the older machine and topple it the ground. Suddenly more rifle fire catches the Capax in a crossfire as two Dacars move in to avenge their fallen comrade. One shot goes wide, but another slams home . . . and there are 3 Advantage on the dice, enough for a Critical Hit! So, what’s the result going to be? It’s time to grab a d100 and roll on the table, as we add the last basic piece of the combat puzzle and figure out Mecha Critical Hits in Genesys!

We’ve got the basic mecha and we have the pilots to take it into battle, but a single machine does not a mecha game make. While the increasing skill of the pilots is definitely the best way for Our Heroes to take the fight to the enemy upgrading their machines is a close second. In this relatively straightforward System Hack for Genesys Mecha we’re rolling out another four machines in the CHM line of mecha, from an improved general-purpose one to some decidedly specialized equipment. Your Ogo falling behind, and you need to catch up? Leave it shattered on the battlefield and need a new ride? Take these latest machines out for a test flight!

A hangar full of CHM-01 Ogo mecha stand ready and waiting, loaded up with weapons and gear, their reactors running hot. The alarms shriek, a voice over the speakers commanding “Pilots, to your machines!” So who precisely is going to answer the call? In this month’s System Hack for Genesys Mecha, we’re taking a visit to the barracks to see how we’ll build the characters to pilot our machines. It’s time to create some Archetypes and Careers!

Every mecha series has its own mass-produced machines that form the majority of the forces present, friend or foe. The MS-06 Zaku, the OZ-06MS Leo, the VF-1A Valkyrie, the M9E Gernsback, the RPI-11 Glasgow, the KG-7 Aerion, whether they are the first of their kind or simply the most recent model to be fielded there has to be a machine that forms the backbone of mecha warfare. If I want to be creating a hack for Genesys that lets me run an anime-style mecha game, then I’m going to need such a machine of my own. In this month’s Genesys Mecha System Hack, an adaptable prototype is ready for launch!

When the GenesysRPG from Fantasy Flight Games was released I wondered exactly what I could do with it. I’m familiar with the Narrative Dice System after a number of Star Wars campaigns and one-shots, but that’s the trick with universal systems: when you can do anything with it, the single biggest question becomes what to do in the first place. Almost since the beginning, though, an idea needled at me, and I’ve finally decided to do something about it: a Mecha Anime hack for the system. Before we set up and get in our giant robots, however, I needed to figure out exactly what I was going to be doing to make this happen.